2016 Buyer’s Guide: Best Enduro Bikes

With 165mm of third-generation VPP wheel travel, a low bottom bracket height, and a slack 65-degree head angle one would expect the Nomad to rule the roost any time the trail goes down—and it does. In fact, it's more of a mini downhill bike than a big trail bike. With that in mind, what really impresses is the Nomad's ability to scale the 4,000-foot no-chairlift climb that precedes that descent. A steep 74.2-degree seat angle puts you over the bottom bracket for a powerful and comfortable climbing position and the suspension stays quiet and really resists movement while pedaling. Put all those attributes in a lightweight yet incredibly stiff carbon package and you have a real winner.

Even though the Specialized Enduro 29 is three years old now, it’s still one of the hottest enduro bikes on the market. It was and still is one of the best examples of big 29” wheels married to long travel suspension, and the combination is absolutely incredible whenever the trail gets ugly. The bump-smoothing ability of the 29er wheels combined with 155mm of FSR Horst link four-bar suspension make even the roughest rock filled fall lines seem almost easy. A slack head angle and long front-center offer great straight-line stability. One might not think a bike like this would corner well—but then again, one would be wrong. Its chainstays are ultra short for a 29er(430mm), which helps the bike feel nimble and quick through the turns. The big wheels let it climb incredibly well too, carrying momentum where others struggle. The Expert Carbon version is Specialized’s least expensive carbon-framed model and comes equipped with an Ohlins single tube shock, 160mm travel Rockshox Pike fork, SRAM X01/X1 drivetrain, and SRAM Guide RS brakes. Bonus: The Enduro plays nice with and has room for 27.5+ tires in the 2.8” size, making it even more versatile and awesome that it already is. Plus, it's won our prestigious Editors' Choice award in years past.

If you’re one of those riders who wants to show up at the trailhead on something that nobody else will have, Intense is offering its Tracer 275C in a limited-edition DVO Suspension-themed model that fits the bill. Under the emerald green paint is the carbon Tracer frame with 160mm of travel and JS-Tuned suspension. Suspension company DVO was founded by the same crew that used to run Marzocchi’s US operations, so it knows a thing or two about making ultra plush suspension. Intense outfits the bike with DVO’s new Diamond fork and Jade coil over shock; both of which feature external high- and low-speed compression damping adjustment. A SRAM X01/X1 drivetrain, Rockshox Reverb seatpost, and Shimano XT brakes round out what is really a dream build for most riders. If you want one you’d better act fast—this is a limited-edition model; according to Intense, most are already sold but a few remain in shops.

German consumer-direct brand YT Industries offers its Capra enduro bike in an affordable hydroformed aluminum version with all the same features that make its carbon version so great. This 27.5-inch-wheeled bruiser has 165mm of rear wheel travel with a Horst link four-bar style suspension design. YT didn’t skimp on the Comp1’s suspension either, outfitting it with a Rockshox Monarch Plus RC3 shock matched to a new stiffer 170mm travel Rockshox Lyrik fork that will let you attack the roughest descents. This bike hits a sweet spot with its components mix featuring a SRAM GX 1x drivetrain, Guide R brakes, and Rockshox Reverb dropper seatpost. A pair of tough DT Swiss E1900 Spline wheels with versatile Maxxis Highroller II tires rounds out this impressive value. Claimed weight is 30.6 pounds for a size small.

Last year while testing the Remedy 29 for our Editors' Choice awards, I said that it would be my top pick for enduro racing. A short time later, in round three of the Enduro World Series, Trek racers Tracey Moseley and Justin Leov were both in the series points lead. Their weapon of choice? The Remedy 29. (Moseley went on to win the championship while Justin Leov would later be taken out by injury.) A 140mm-travel 29er may not sound like enough to tackle an EWS course, but the big wheels and super-dialed suspension make for a potent combo that’s fast everywhere. Trek outfits this aluminum-framed purple people eater with its ABP suspension paired with a Fox Performance Float EVOL shock with RE:active regressive damper valve. This valving offers increased low speed compression for extra support, but still allows high-speed movements for a plush feel when the going gets rough. Boost-width hubs front and rear offer an increased bracing angle for the wheels, resulting in a stiffer, stronger system. Trek rounds this impressive bike out with a SRAM X1 1x drivetrain, Rockshox Reverb Stealth seatpost, and Shimano XT brakes of an enduro-ready package.

Jamis enters the enduro market with an all-new 27.5-inch-wheeled platform dubbed Defcon. These bikes have 160mm of travel and a simple four-bar suspension design Jamis calls MP4. According to the company, rigidity is beefed up with a one-piece bell crank linkage and larger 10mm shock hardware. The Defcon 3 features the exact same frame as the higher-end models in the line, but with a component mix that lets riders affordably get their shred on. X-Fusion handles the suspension duties front and rear with a 02 Pro RLX high volume shock and Sweep RL2 fork—both of which feature lockouts to make climbing smooth paved or dirt roads easier. The Defcon 3 also features a KS eTen dropper post with 100mm of travel to get that saddle out of the way for steep descents. A Shimano Deore 2x10 drivetrain ensures there is plenty of range for scaling the steeps and ripping the downs while Deore hydraulic disc brakes reliably keep all that speed in check.

Compared to its other versions, Rocky Mountain’s 150mm travel Rally Edition Altitude features a stiffer 160mm travel Fox 36 fork and wider 800mm handle bar with short 50mm stem for extra control over the front end when the going gets steep. Updates to the Altitude line for 2016 include a 15 percent stiffer rocker link and new BC2 pivot bearings. The BC2 bearings are composite bushing style and include a grease port for simple maintenance and friction-free action. A Fox Float X DPS shock comes equipped with remote lever system to actuate the shock’s compression damping on the fly, stiffening it for surprise climbs and flat sections. Shimano’s XT 1x drivetrain and brakes, a Rockshox Reverb dropper seatpost, and Maxxis Minion tires make this 27.9-pound enduro bike ready to race or just have a great time out on the trail.

No list of top enduro bikes is complete without Yeti’s SB6c—a bike that won one of our coveted 2015 Editor’s Choice awards. This bike falls into the mini-DH bike category with a strong appetite for fast, steep, rough descents—Team Yeti’s Richie Rude proved the bike’s mettle by winning the EWS championship last year. The mind-blowing part of riding the SB6c is how easily it climbs, feeling more like a trail bike than the 160mm travel downhill bruiser that it is. Updates for 2016 include a Boost 148mm wide rear end and internal cable routing. Yeti is offering this bike in a limited edition 30th anniversary that’s dressed in the brand’s traditional yellow and turquoise paint and top-drawer parts spec. But if you can’t afford this version or they sell out before you get one, don’t worry—complete SB6c builds start at $5,699 for a GX-equipped bike.

Pivot’s Mach 6 Carbon is an amazing bike, but it comes at a premium price. In order to bring that awesomeness to a wider audience, Pivot now offers an aluminum version that’s based on the Mach 6 Carbon, but with a price tag that’s a lot easier to swallow. This version has the same 155mm travel DW-link suspension design and geometry that made the original carbon version so good and also benefits from a stiffer updated linkage. The new linkage is wider, forged, and as much as 150 percent stiffer than the one found on last year’s bike. Another stiffness-enhancing feature comes in the form of a Boost rear end. I briefly rode this bike on the trails outside of Boulder City, Nevada and found it to be every bit as good as the original carbon version – just a bit heavier. Its suspension pedals crisply without excessive movement, but stays active and free to react to trail irregularities. Like any good enduro bike, this one does its best work going down, and it handed the jagged desert rocks brilliantly. I could just dive head first into rock gardens and it would come out straight and with plenty of speed. Unlike some enduro bikes that really need steep terrain and ultra-aggressive riding to work, the Mach 6 is more comfortable with a wider range of trails and speeds. The Mach 6 Aluminum starts at just $3,499 for a complete SLX/XT build, while the bike shown comes with a 2x Shimano XT/XTR drivetrain mix and 160mm travel Fox 36 Factory series fork.

My self preservation instincts were screaming "Don’t do it!" as I stepped out of the shuttle van while lightning hit surrounding the ridgelines high in the Pyrenees in Northern Spain. A late summer thunderstorm had parked itself right over the trail in Zona Zero that would be my first ride on the updated 2016 Rallon. As we climbed up the rocky two-track road in the pouring rain, my healthy fear of lightning spurred a rather hard effort to the top. That’s where I was impressed and rather thankful that this bike pedals with a high level of efficiency for a 160mm travel bike thanks to a high main pivot and the generous antisquat it helps create. The first fast singletrack descent had more flow than usual because it was now a small twelve-inch wide brown river of water. Rocks, roots, and who knows what else hidden beneath the watery mess were taken with surprising control. I even landed with surefooted confidence off a series of small drop-offs now tuned into miniature waterfalls. Once in the trees, the trail tuned steeper and got into greasy mud where I really appreciated the new, slacker 65.5 degree head angle, low bottom bracket height, and tight 420mm chainstays that really helped me properly weight the wheels and keep the bike on the trail. Other updates include a taller headtube and Boost-width rear end. I loved last year’s Rallon, but this updated version is even better.

Whyte may seem like a new brand to many, but it has been strong in the UK for many years; founder Jon Whyte designed the Quad Link suspension design Marin used in the past. Whyte enters the US market as a consumer-direct brand with a wide offering of bicycles, including this 160mm travel enduro model. The aluminum framed G-160 RS utilizes the proven four-bar Horst link-type suspension design with a Boost-width rear end and marries that to progressive geometry that features a low bottom bracket height, long front-center, and slack 65.5-degree head angle. A short 40mm stem and wide 780mm handlebars complement the long front-center and put the rider in an excellent position to attack steep downhills. Even though this is a relatively affordable bike, it comes with an impressive parts package such as a Boost-width 160mm travel Pike RC fork, SRAM X1 1x drivetrain, Guide brakes, and a Rockshox Reverb Stealth Seatpost.

Fuji’s first enduro bike is a 160mm travel model with 27.5” wheels that utilizes the M-Link suspension design that made its debut on Breezer models a few seasons ago. M-Link is a four bar design that positions the chainstay pivot in the middle of the chainstays instead of at the rear like most designs. On paper the Auric should fall into the trail side of the enduro category with a steeper 67-degree head angle. It’s an impressive value with 160mm travel Fox 36 Float Performance Series fork and Float EVOL Performance Series rear shock. A Deore/XT 2x drivetrain offers a wide enough range of gears for most any climbing or descending situation while Shimano M447 provides the stopping power. Even at this price you get a Boost width rear end, KS dropper seatpost and Schwalbe Nobby Nic 2.35” tires.

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